“I… I… Yeah? I guess. I was… AJ?”
“Yeah. Momma says he’s here to see us.” Hell, he wasn’t sure Coke had even told Aje everything. “I’ll go out first. Tell him you’re in the bathroom. That way I can make sure he knows what’s what.”
“Jesus… Okay. Okay. I… Okay.” Jason got up, headed for the pile of clothes Momma left out every evening, making sure everything was clean and matched.
“Stop.” It was the easiest thing to grab Jason’s shoulders, turn him around, and kiss him clean on the mouth. Of course, it would have been way more suave if he hadn’t stumbled on the bad leg. Still, he reckoned Jason didn’t care all that much about suave, then. Not the way the man responded to him.
Better. Much better. “I’ll send Coke in, okay? I won’t leave you hanging.”
“I’m cool. I’ll get dressed.” Jason leaned a little bit, then straightened up.
He leaned in and kissed Jason’s jaw, just underneath. “You’re amazing, Mini. I’ll be back, huh?” Bax pulled on some jeans and an undershirt before heading out.
“Well, well. Look at your lazy ass, finally getting out of bed. Good lord.” AJ was standing there, grinning like an asshole, coffee in hand.
“Hey, I’m on hiatus.” He clapped AJ on the shoulder. “Morning. You talk to Coke yet?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I been talking to him for a couple days. Had to drop some bulls off, figured y’all’d just fucking dither until the end of time.” He got a shit-eating grin. “So I’m here to fetch y’all.”
Oh. Thank God. He loved Momma and Jack, but Goddamn they needed to get a move on. Hell, he needed to start his own physical therapy, and Momma didn’t have room for weights and shit.
“Well, that’ll work.”
AJ nodded, tilted his head. “So…he’s really blind?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” Listen to Jason growl.
“Hey, Mini.” Bax tried not to sigh, ‘cause Jason would hear it and growl more. Instead he reached out and took one of Jason’s hands, keeping it from starting to grope like he knew it would.
“Jase!” AJ’s voice came out a little too loud, a little forced,but Bax could see the how tickled AJ was to see Jason up and moving.
“Hey, man. Who invited you?” Jason ducked his head, hiding behind the brim of the gimme cap.
“Coke, I guess. I needed to see you, though. Make sure you were among the living.” AJ finally just brushed past him and gave Jason a big ole hug.
“Hey, buddy.” Jason grinned, slapping AJ on the back. “You been good?”
“Austin James! What dragged you in?” Coke wandered in, hair still wet from the shower.
Lord. Momma’s house was exploding with cowboys.
“Hey, Coke.” AJ released Jason and pounded on Coke’s back, grinning like a fool. It helped Jason—Bax could feel the man relax.
“Lord, lord. Y’all want some breakfast? I got biscuits in the oven and sausage started.” Momma kissed Jason’s cheek and pushed a cup of coffee in his hand. “Mr. Coke, you want a cup of coffee?”
“Yes, ma’am. If it’s not too much trouble.”
Bax led Jason to the table with a hand under his arm, figuring no one would notice too much. Luckily, no one did, and Jason managed to get sat without having a fit, even if that jaw was hard as steel.
The noise in the house was just getting louder and louder—AJ hooting and Jack and Coke yammering. The TV news was on in the front room and the dogs were still barking at AJ’s truck.
Jason was gonna blow a vein.
“AJ! Why don’t you take Coke out and settle the dogs. Momma, I bet Jason would love some orange juice.”
The TV clicked off, and Jack came to stand in the doorway, staring at him a minute before the old timer nodded. “Hey, AJ. You ought to come down and see that three-year-old I got.”
“Yeah? I could do that, yessir. You coming, Coke?” AJ grabbed his hat.
